Air-operated can-emptying means



Jan. 8, 1957 s. c. HOPE AIR-OPERATED CAN-EMPTYING MEANS Filed Jan. 16,1953 zyf.

INVENTOR JZanky G bop,

BY ATT RNEYS United States Patent AIR-OPERATED CAN-EMPTYING MEANSStanley C. Hope, New York, N. Y., assignor to Gilbert & BarkerManufacturing Company, West Springfield, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application January 16, 1953, Serial No. 331,611

1 Claim. (Cl. 22282) This invention relates to an improved means forfacilitating the emptying of containers and, while the invention iscapable of general application, it finds one advantageous use inconnection with the emptying of a can of lubricating oil into the fillpipe of an automobile engine.

It is common practice at most automobile service stations to sellstandard brands of lubricating oil in sealed cans. Discriminatingpurchasers are thereby assured that they are getting the kind of oilthat they ask for. In dispensing oil from the can, it is customary toplace the can in a funnel, the spout of which is inserted in the fillpipe of the engine. In this funnel is a cutter which, when the can isthrust into the funnel, perforates the lower head of the can. The oilthen flows outwardly solely by gravity. The air which displaces the oilhas to enter through the same opening through which the oil isdischarged. Delivery is, therefor, relatively slow and complete emptyingof the can cannot be secured in this manner. As a matter of fact, oilcompanies place somewhat more than a quart of oil in each quart can inorder to compensate for the oil that will ordinarily remain clinging tothe walls of the can.

This invention has for its object the provision of a hand-operated tool,which may be used by service station operators or others, to expeditethe delivery of oil from a can of lubricating oil and efiectsubstantially complete emptying of the can.

The invention has for another object the provision of a hand-operatedair pump which has a discharge conduit having a can-penetrating pointand 'a length sufiicient to pass entirely through the can, penetratingboth heads and forming an exit opening in the lower head with walls bentoutwardly from the head to provide better drainage, the conduit in thatpart which lies between the heads of the can having many perforationsfor emitting jets of air into the can to speed up the outflow of oil andalso against the walls of the can in order to remove the oil that clingsto such walls.

These and other objects will more particularly appear from the detaileddescription of the invention in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a can-emptying means embodying theinvention, and shown as applied to a can in place in a funnel, portionsof the can and funnel being shown in section to reveal interior parts;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken similarly to Fig. 1 showing an accessory for usewith the second form of can-emptying means, when the can is placed in afunnel, the axis of which is inclined to the vertical, for the purposeof locating the can-puncturing element near the periphery of the can.

Referring to these drawings and first to Fig. 1 thereof, the devicethere shown is adapted to expedite the emptying of a can 1 oflubricating oil into a funnel 2, the lower end 3 of which is engaged inany suitable way 2,776,782 Patented Jan. 8, 7

. 2 with the fill pipe 4 of an automobile engine. The funnel is ofconventional form.

The emptying of the contents of can 1 is expedited by delivering intothe can air under. pressure. This is effected by means of an air pump ofany suitable form and a discharge conduit which includes a straighttubular portion 23 having at its ,outer end a point 24 for perforatingthe heads 6 and 9 of can 1. The tubular portion 23 has perforations 10through which air may be forced by the pump and emitted in jets into thecan. As shown, the pump includes a cylinder barrel 11 with heads 12 and13 at opposite ends thereof and a piston rod 14 extending through head13 and having a knob 15, by means of which the piston rod may bemanually reciprocated. One example of a pump suitable for the purpose isshown in my copending application Serial No. 313,890, filed October 9,1952, now Patent No. 2,744,656.

The discharge conduit, in the form herein shown, in-

cludes, in addition to the described portions 23.and 24, a short pipe 16fixed at one end to the head 12 and at its other end to the branch of aT 17, this T, and a reducing bushing 18, which has its upper endthreaded into the lower outlet of the T and in which the upper end ofthe tubular portion 23 is threaded. The upper outlet of T 17 is closedby the screw 19 of a knob 20. A suitable shoulder or peripheral flangeis provided at the upper end of the portion 23, which may be the lowerface of the hexagonal head 21 of the bushing.

Also mounted on the tubular portion 23 is a suitable gasket 22.

The point 24 is formed on the lower end of a member 24' which is fixed,as by screw threads, to the lower end of tube 23 and closes such endsince the point is solid as shown in Fig. 2. The straight tubularportion 23 of the air conduit is made substantially equal in length tothe height of the can. That is, the distance between the peripheralflange 21 and the member 24' is about equal to the distance between thetwo spaced heads 6 and 9 of can 1. tributed angularly and axially overthe entire periphery of the straight tubular portion, will lie withinthe can, when the portion 23 is positioned, as indicated. The point 24is adapted to be thrust first through the upper head 9 of can 1 and thenthrough the lower head 6. When this portion 23 has been thrustdownwardly until the gasket '22 is pressed tightly against the upperface of head 9, the point 24 will have passed through the lower head 6.Then all of many perforations 25 in the peripheral wall of portion 23will be located within can 1 so as to deliver air in many radial jetsinto the can. These jets will impinge the inner walls of the can andremove any oil clinging thereto. The point 24 forces portions of thelower head downwardly or outwardly away from the rest of the head,providing for better drainage by the removal from the interior of thecan of all projections which might obstruct the outward flow of oil. Thepoint 24 is of polygonal cross-sectional shape (see Fig. 2) and itsmaximum transverse dimention is greater than the outside diameter of thetubular portion 23. This point thus will make a hole larger than portion23 leaving ample space around such portion for the discharge of oil fromthe can.

In use, the can 1 is placed in the upper cylindrical portion of thefunnel 2; the barrel of the air pump is grasped with one hand; the point24 is positioned on top of head 9; and knob 20 is then forceddownwardly, causing point 24 to first penetrate the upper head 9, thentravel through the can and finally penetrate the lower head 6; and thenthe air pump is operated to forcibly eject the oil and clean the wallsof the can.

It sometimes happens that the funnel used has the axis of itscan-receiving portion inclined to the vertical Thus, all theperforations, which are dis-' and usually also to the lower spoutportion which is inserted in the fill pipe 4. Such a funnel is shown inFig. 4 at 2' with a spout 3. Obviously, the puncture in the bottom headof the can 1 should be located as closely as possible to the peripheralwall of the can '1 and at the lowest point of the head in order tosecure complete drainage. To help the operator locate the punctureproperly, a guide 25 is slidably mounted on tube 23 between the washer22 and shoulder 21. This guide has a hook 26 which is adapted to engagethe peripheral wall of the can. The guide 25 and washer 22 can slidetreely on the tubular portion 23 and will initially be located near thehub of the can-puncturing point 24. Then, this point 24 is placed onhead 9 and moved until the hook 26 bears on the periphery of the head atthe lowest point thereof. Then, pressure is applied to knob 20 as beforeto thrust the point 24 first through head 9, into and through the canand finally through the lower head 6. The guide 25 is removable byunscrewing the point 24 from tube 23.

The invention thus provides an improved tool for use by a servicestation operator to speed up the delivery of lubricating oil from sealedcans. The tool may supplement the usual means, a funnel for receivingthe can and a cutter in the funnel for forming an exit in the lower headof the can, by supplying air under pressure to increase the rate of oildischarge, or it may be used in connection with a cutter-less funnel toform a betterdraining exit opening in the lower head of thecan and atthe same time provide faster discharge of oil and complete drainage ofoil from the can. The service station operator is enabled to speed uphis deliveries and the purchaser gets all the oil in the can. t

What is claimed is:

Means for facilitating the emptying of a can having a peripheral wallclosed at opposite ends by two spaced heads, said means comprising anair force pump, a conduit connected at one end to the outlet end of thepump and having a straight tubular portion, an external peripheralflange on that end of said portion nearest the pump, a member secured toand closing the other and more remote end of said tubular portion, thedistance between said flange and member being substantially equal to theheight of the can and said tubular portion having a plurality of airoutlet openings spaced angularly and axially over its entire peripheralarea between said flange and member, said member having a point adaptedto be thrust successively through the upper and lower heads of the canuntil the flange abuts the upper head, said member also having aprojection extending radially beyond the outer periphery of said portionto form in the lower head of the can a discharge opening for Oil to flowout ofthe can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,031,616 Nall Feb. 25, 1936 2,136,492 Creveling Nov. 15, 1938 2,241,097Mezzapesa May 6, 1941 2,257,725 Davis Oct. 7, 1941 2,408,058 GallagherSept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,172 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1941

